Wagon-brake



No. 623,844. Patented Apr. 25, I899.

W. 8. SMITH.

WAGON BRAKE.

(Application filed Aug. 24, 1898.) (N0 Modal.)

"1 ATENT Enron.

\VARREN S. SMITH, OF STONE CHURCH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,844, dated April 25, 1899.

Application filed August 898- Se fl NO- 689,385. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWARREN S. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Stone Church, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in wagon-brakes, and has for its object the provision of novel means whereby a brake may be applied by a direct pull on a connection attached to a lever controlling the brakebeam.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide means whereby a direct pull on the said connection will effect a disengagement between the brake-lever and its tooth-rack, and provision is also made whereby the beam and the lever are returned to their normal position after the disengagement has occurred.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for exerting an approximately direct pull on the brake-beam through a connection from the lever to the beam.

Furthermore, the invention consists in an autom atically-released wagon-brake in which the parts will be strong, durable, and efficient, proving at the same time comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and sustain.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specificationpvherein like characters of reference denote correspondin g parts in the several views,in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the rear hounds and axle of a vehicle with my invention applied. Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of thebrake-lever. Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the rack-bar and guard. v Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of an auxiliary lever acting in conjunction with the main lever. Fig. 5 is a view in elevation, showing the relative positions of the two levers when the initial pull on the auxiliary lever is exerted.

Fig.

6 is a similar view showing the relative positions of the parts when the pull on the auxiliary lever is removed.

In the drawings, 1 denotes a brake-beam, and 2 the shoe, which may be of any ordinary construction. Guides 3 are provided on the under side of the hounds in which the brakebeam is slidably arranged,and the leaf-sprin gs 4 are added, each having one end secured to the brake-beam and the opposite end bearing against the ends of the guides, whereby the brake-shoes are held normally out of contact with the wheels.

An eyebolt 5 is arranged centrally of the brake-beam, and the link 6 connects the eyebolt and the yoke 7, which is pivotally connected to the lever 8. One end of the lever Sis pivoted to a bifurcated arm 8, extending from the rear axle. The lever Sis curved, as shown, and the yoke is pivoted at the rear- Wardly-curved edge that the pivotal point of the yoke will be thrown to the rear of the pivotal point on the lever-arm, thus causing the yoke to approach the arm as the lever is operated and increasing the direct pull of the link, as will be understood.

The outer end of the lever Sis provided with a lug 10,which engages the teeth of arack 11 for holding the lever when adjusting to exert a pressure on the brake. The lever Sis also provided with an end plate 12, having on its front edge a small notch 13, and below the notch is formed a cam-face 14. At the lower end of the plate and arranged transversely thereof is a guide-pin 15 for the purpose hereinafter referred to. Pivoted to the lever Sis an auxiliary lever 16, provided with a lug 1'7 with a cam-face 18, and the edge 19 of this lug is adapted to engage the notch 13 and travel with the lever 8 across the teeth of the rackbar when manipulated through the connection 20, and this auxiliary lever is so arranged that it will fall by gravity as soon as the connection is released, thus freeing itself from the notch. When the lever has dropped, as stated, the cam-surface of the lug is in engagementwith the cam-surface 1 10f the plate, and upon a further pull on the connection this plate will ride on the cam-surface of the lug and elevate the lever out of engagement with the teeth of the rack-bar, in which position, the spring exerting a pressure on the -brake-beam, the parts are returned to the position in Fig. 1.

The rack-bar at its forward end has its upper and loweredges inclined, and as the lever is-returued the transverse pin engages the lower inclined edge and depresses the outer end of the lever S.

A guard 2t is suitably secured to the axle and the hounds, and the rack-bar is bolted in place on the guard. It will be noted that the guard is on a slightly-higher horizontal plane than the rack-bar, and the auxiliary lever is supported thereon, so that when the lever 8 passes down the incline the notch in the plate is brought into alinement with the edge of the lug of the auxiliary lever, and as a pull is directed on the auxiliary lever it cannot disengage from the notch, and it rides with the end of the lever up the incline and over the teeth of the rack-bar, and as soon as re leased it falls into engagement with the cam edge of the plate, as before stated.

The connectionoperates over a suitable pulley 22 and extends forward within reach of the teamster. The construction, operation, and advantages will, it is thought, be understood t'rom the foregoing description, and it will be noted that various changes maybe resorted to in the proportions and other details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my inventionpvhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1, In combination with a brake-beam, a lever having a curved extremity, an arm to which the curved extremity is pivoted, a link connected with the brake-beam and pivotally connected to the convexed edge of the lever, a plate on the end of the lever having a notch and cam-surface, a lug on the lever, a rackbar engaged by the lug and an auxiliary lever pivoted to the first-n amed lever with means for engaging the notch and cam-surface of the plate, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a brake-beam, a lever having a curved extremity, an arm to which the curved extremityis pivoted, a link connected with the brake-beam and pivotally connected to the convexed edge of thelever, a plate on the end of the lever having a notch and cam-surface, a lug on the lever, a pin projecting from the inner face of the plate, a rackbar having at one end an inclined upper and lower edge which are engaged by thelug and pin respectively and an auxiliary lever for operating the first-named lever, substantially as described.

3. In a brake, a lever suitably connected with the brake-beam, a plate on the end of the lever having a notch and a cam-recess on its edge, a transverse pin in the plate, a toothrack over which the lever operates, said toothrack having its edges at one end inclined, a guard to which the tooth-rack is bolted, and an auxiliary lever adapted to ride on the guard and having a lug with a nose and cam-face to engage the notch and cam edge respectively of the plate, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VARREN S. SMITH.

Vitn esses:

.T. S. Downs, JOHN M. STEWART. 

